On the walls of a modest house, pictures were hung all over. Pictures of a young couple at their wedding, pictures of three men in school uniforms, pictures of two children, a young boy and a baby girl, pictures of a happy family that was full of love. Some of the pictures moved, some of them didn't. Some of them contained a boy with unruly, black hair and some of them didn't. As the young girl with similar hair seemed to age in the pictures, the less the boy appeared. Sometimes, he would be in the pictures, a tired smile on his face, or a scowl. The more the two aged, the skinnier the older boy became, until he disappeared from the pictures all together.

James and Lily Potter were preparing dinner in their kitchen. Their daughter Maria had been at Hogwarts for seven years now and yet it was still strange, having the house to themselves, but they loved it. It meant they could have sex wherever and whenever they wanted to. Unless of course, like tonight, they had visitors. Remus and Sirius were over helping prepare dinner for the approaching gathering.

Water was boiling, sauce was simmering, meat was browning, and alcohol was chilling while the two adults danced around the kitchen. Remus was preparing the salad, and Sirius was being so helpful by entertaining that cat.

"Sirius, can you do anything to help?" Lily asked as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"I am helping, Lils. Can't you see that I am taming this godforsaken beast?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Freckles, out." She said to the cat, who meowed and made her way out of the kitchen slowly.

"I can't believe that Harry named that cat Freckles. She's completely black."

James cringed slightly at the mention of Harry. "Yeah, well. He was 15 years old and he got her to impress Ginny. Ginny had freckles. You can see how the name correlates with his unbidden love."

James laughed. "I suppose so. Alright, Remmy, let me chop those tomatoes."

"Don't call me Remmy." Remus said, handing him a serrated edged knife.

The four of them worked quietly then, finishing in the next twenty minutes. Lily began setting the table designated for the adults, and Remus began setting the table designated for the children. Shortly after, their guests began arriving.

Laughter began to ring through the home as the guests piled into the house that seemed to expand every time a new person walked through it.

"Hermione!" Lily exclaimed as she pulled the young woman into her arms. Hermione had been like Lily's second daughter throughout Harry's school years, Hermione having befriended her son and Ron Weasley while they were in Hogwarts.

"'Lo, Lily." Ron drawled from beside Hermione, Hugo in his arms.

"Hello, Ron!" Lily pulled him into a hug as well, struggling to keep Hugo's hand out of her hair.

"Please, make yourself at home. Dinner is almost ready." Lily smiled, leading the pair into the home that they had very nearly grown up in.

"Lily! The casserole is burning!" James called, panic flooding his voice.

Teddy Lupin was playing tag with Rose Weasley, occasionally being yelled at by the adults to not run in the house, go outside for chrissake!

Molly Weasley bustled into the kitchen, carrying a pan of rolls and levitating a second pan behind her. "Sorry I'm late, Lily. Arthur wouldn't let me apparate with the rolls, insisting we take that muggle car."

"That's okay, Molly. Hello, Arthur. So good to see you again." She kissed Arthur's cheek and grabbed the levitating pan from the air. "These have a stasis charm on them?"

"Of course, dear!" Molly said, fussing with her messy hair.

"James!" Frank Longbottom shouted, grabbing James into a hug.

"Frank! Long time no see! You weren't here last time we all got together!"

"I know, I know. My mother insisted that if Alice and I didn't come over that day and help me tend my garden I'm going to drop dead."

"She's always been a bit dramatic. Hello James, Lily." Alice said, handing a tin of pudding over to Lily and grabbing the second tin out of the air.

"That she has." Lily laughed as she made her way back into the kitchen that should have been dangerously over full.

A few short minutes later found Ginny Longbottom towing three children into the house, and Neville Longbottom behind, carrying three large platters of snacks and dip.

"Alexander, Desirae, and Rachel! Why don't you go find your cousins? Hi Lily, James."

"Hello, dear."

"The kids are out back with Sirius and Remus." James said, ushering the kids out the back door.

"Anything I can help with, Lily?" Ginny asked the older woman.

"Yes, if you would please could you begin arranging the food? They should all have stasis charms."

"Of course." Ginny smiled.

...

Dinner had come and gone, as had most of the guests. Sirius and Remus had to force their son, Teddy, to leave his friends and go home. Ron and Hermione remained, their children tuckered out and sleeping in the room that used to be Harry's. Ginny had stayed back for tea with her brother and sister in law, leaving Neville to take the kids with him to his parent's house. Molly had opted to go home with Arthur after they had finished cleaning up the disaster that had been the kitchen.

It was well past ten o'clock by the time James and Lily joined the younger generation in the lounge.

"How is Maria?" Ron asked around his scotch.

"She's doing very well. She says in her letters that she studies more than anything, she's determined to get all NEWT'S so that she can become the next potions master at Hogwarts. Slughorn is very impressed. I received a letter from him the other day singing her praise."

"She always showed such an interest in potions while we were here during the summer. Sometimes, she would even resort to helping Harry with his homework. The girl was amazing." Hermione gushed, proud of the girl that was basically her younger sister.

Ron laughed. "She's right, you know. Harry was rubbish at potions. I could never understand myself, but he just didn't care. It's kind of ironic, isn't it?" Ron let the question hang in the air, the atmosphere turning slightly awkward.

"She said that she wants to find ingredients that are safer for consumption in large amounts, to prevent reliance." James said, rubbing Lily's back absently.

"Does that have to do with...You know?" Ron asked awkwardly.

"Due to Harry? Nah, I don't think so. She was so very young when it all started. I don't think she remembers Harry as anything other than her hero big brother." James said somberly.

"Alexander looks more and more like Harry every day, I swear." Ginny began. "It gets harder, because the boy is so smart. He's begun to notice the differences between him and his sisters, and the fact that his mother has bright red hair and pale skin, and his father has blonde hair and a light complexion as well. He's started to ask why his complexion and hair are so much darker. I don't know how to answer the questions, honestly. Neville is his father in every way other than DNA."

"I think he knows that," said Lily. "The boy adores Neville, and for good reason. Perhaps..." She trailed off. "I don't think it would hurt him to begin to tell him the truth. Harry has been declared de- He's been officially gone for nearly seven years now. I can't see it causing any problems."

Conversation didn't tend to drift toward the topic of James and Lily's son. Actually, the topic was generally avoided by everyone, to avoid hurt.

"It's doesn't hurt to talk about him from time to time, try to remember the good and not the bad." Their grief counselor had coached.

"I miss him, sometimes." Ron said.

There were murmurs of agreement when suddenly a loud wailing indicated that their wards had been breached; by a muggle.

"Don't worry, the guest room is still soundproofed from when it was Harry's. We still can't get the bloody charm off. The kids are probably still asleep." James said after he silenced the noise.

James made his way to the door. "It's rare that a muggle gets through the wards. I'll see what they need. Hopefully everything is okay." He opened the door and was faced with a tall young man that appeared to be in his late twenties. He had red rimmed eyes and his blond hair was tousled, as if he had run his hands through it too many times. He wore muggle jeans and a muggle t-shirt. His appearance, all in all, was rough.

"James Potter?" The man asked. James was immediately on alert. Why did this muggle know who he was?

"Yes, that's me."

"James! Why don't you show the guest into the house? It's freezing out, and he seems to have been through something rough."

James lowered his eyes suspiciously, and stepped aside.

"Thank you, Ma'am. I appreciate it."

"Of course! Would you like some tea?"

The man nodded in agreement as he walked into the lounge with Lily. James, with his trained auror eyes, followed the two and began assessing for a threat. He found none.

"Please, take a seat. We were all just sitting down to tea and scotch." Lily said, subtly spelling the moving pictures still. "How can we help you? Is your vehicle broken down?"

"No, well, at least not this one. I'm sorry. My name is Draco Malfoy-Potter." Shocked murmurs made their way throughout the others, who were still seated in the lounge. "My name is Draco Malfoy-Potter, and I am your son's husband."